Pen point and method of making the same



Dec. 10, 1940. CHESLER I 2,224,289

PEN POINT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 12, 1937' INVENTOR Lila 271' kest'e'r' JIM QM at,

A I'TORNEYS Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNiT ., STTES AENT OFFiCE Esidor Chesler, Occanport, N. J., assignor to Eagle Pencil Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 12, 193-7 Serial No. 120,179

6 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in pen points, and the method of making the same.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a pen point having an improved ink-adhering or clin ing surface, which can retain a comparatively large quantity of ink to afford a pen of any predetermined degree of flexibility, and Which can be economically and expeditiously manufactured with an attractive surface finish.

In carrying out the present invention, the inkclinging surface or surfaces of the pen point are provided with a series of indentations of predetermined shape, arranged in a predetermined pattern, desirably in the form of striae or minute channels extending transversely across the longitudinal axis of the pen point. These channeled surfaces will serve not only to pick up a relatively large quantity of ink from an inkwell, but also to present ink-sustaining ledges aifording effective supports for the ink cleaving to the pen, thereby preventing ink from flowing towards the writing point at a rate exceeding that required by the speed of writing, so that the dropping of the ink from the pen point and the resultant formation of blots is substantialy eliminated.

In a desirable embodiment of the invention the minute channels are formed on the flat metal stock by a cutting or engraving operation, before the blanking, shaping and tempering of the pen point. This engraving operation serves to readily form the improved regular design of inkadhering surface on the outer side, as well as on the inner or concave side of the pen point. The

degree of flexibility of this pen point is readily predetermined by the number, size and arrangement of channels- In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention:

Fig. l is a plan view of ribbon metal stock, after being subjected to the engraving operation, and. before being blanked,

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, but on a much larger scale,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with parts broken away, of a portion of the apparatus for engraving the ink-retaining channels on metal stock,

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a top plan View, somewhat diagrammatic, showing apparatus set up for subjecting the metal stock to the engraving operation,

Fig. 6- is a side elevation, somewhat diagrammatic, showing apparatus for subjecting the metal stock to the engraving operation, and

Fig. '7 is a perspective View, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of the completed pen point.

Referring to the drawing, metal ribbon stock ii!- of comparatively soft steel or other metal suitable for pen points, is engraved preferably on both faces thereof with a series of minute channels l i extending longitudinally of the stock along one side thereof as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These channels H are preferably straight, and are arranged in parallel relationship, so that they may be expeditiously and inexpensively out, but as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the channels maybe curved, zig-zagged, or shaped in any predetermined fashion, or may be interrupted and may be arranged to form any suitable predetermined pattern.

' The crcss-sections of the channels it are generally V-shaped, with one face of each channel u extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of the metal stock l-ii to form an ink-sustaining ledge l2, and the opposite face l3 extending obliquely upward and outward from the ledge 52, as shown in Fig. 2. The channels formed as set forth will readily receive the ink, and. will deliver it only as required in use, by flow over the damming ledges l2, and will permit easy wiping of ink from the wide open channels by means ofa pen wiper.

The channel pitch or distance between the saccessive ledges. i2 is comparatively small, so as to provide a large number of these ledgesat. the lower end of the finished pen. point. A channel pitch of about .015 inch is generally desirable for the: purpose of the present invention. This pitch may be varied in. accordance with the degree of flexibility desired in the pen point. The closer and more numerous the channels, the more flexible the pen. The width and spacing of the channels may be varied, and need not necessarily be. uniform. Desirably, the distances between channels may be progressively increased from the writing point. Furthermore, the channels II on one face of the metal stock, may be respectively alined with the channels on the other face, or may be staggered with respect thereto as shown inF-ig. 2, in accordance with the degree of flexibility desired.

The grooving of. the metal strip i9 is accomplished by drawing the strip between two sets of cutting tools, so that both faces of the strip are simultaneously engraved. Inthe construction shown in Figs. 13V to 6,. these two sets of cutting tools are supported respectively in apair of blocksare partially embedded in the outer ends of tool holders [8 which may be laterally or longitudinally adjusted by means of shims 18a, and which are fixed in adjusted alined position by means of set screws 2|. These set screws are provided at their outer ends with sockets or slots for receiving suitable turning tools, and are staggered on opposite sides of the row of holders l8 as shown in Fig. 3 to permit these holders to be placed close together.

The bar [6 may be slipped out of the block 14 in order to set the tool holders in adjusted position, and during cutting operations is firmly held in said block against lengthwise movement by a plate 22 connected to one end of said block, and a thrust screw 23 passing through a plate 24 removably connected to the other end of said block. In order to fix the bar against lateral play during cutting operations, there is provided a series of set screws 25 passing through one side of the block I4 and impinging on a bearing plate 26 which is disposed in the groove [5, and which acts against one side of said bar. In the specific form shown, these set screws 25, as well as the thrust screw 23, are provided at their outer ends with sockets or slots for receiving suitable turning tools.

The distance between successive cutting points 20 is much greater than the distance between the successive channels to be formed on the metal strip ID, the required spacing of the channels to be formed on this metal strip l0 being obtained by angularly adjusting the blocks M with respect to the direction of feed of the metal strip H]. In order to effect this angular adjustment of the blocks M, the bottom block is connected to a suitable turntable 21,-and the upper block is similarly provided with means for effecting rotary adjustment and is preferably rotatably adjustable with respect to the lower block, so that any desired space relationship between the two sets of channels on opposite faces of the metal strip may be effected. By means of this construction, the distance between successive channels on either face of the metal strip l0 may be selectively varied, by simply varying the angularity of the blocks with respect to the direction of feed of the metal strip II).

In the operation of engraving the channels H, the metal strip I0 is drawn between the upper and lower blocks M. In order to prevent the warping of this metal strip l0 during this engraving operation, the two blocks M are preferably offset lengthwise of said strip so that they do not act on directly opposite sides of said strip, and each block I4 has cooperating therewith on the opposite side of said strip a backing plate or platen 29.

Although the metal strip 10 is shown provided with channels on both faces thereof to form striated ink-retaining surfaces on both sides of the pen point, these channels may if desired, be provided only on one face of the metal strip, and preferably on that face forming the inner concave side of the pen point, since the latter side retains most of the ink.

After the metal strip ID has been channeled by the engraving apparatus shown in Figs. 5 and 6, it is then blanked along the approximate outline A shown in Fig. 1, with the tapered end of the blank extending across the channeled portion of the strip. These metal blanks may then be subjected to the customary operation of shaping, hardening, tempering, pickling to remove the scale and discoloration of hardening and tempering, burnishing to remove burrs and the sharp edges of the pen point, slitting, lacquering and baking to produce the final product shown in Fig. 7.

As distinguished from pen points that are roughened by grinding or sand blasting to afford some ink retaining capacity, the pen of the present invention affords great increase in such capacity, and need therefore be dipped less frequently into the ink well, and yet will not feed too freely; it affords facility for readily predetermining in the course of manufacture the degree of flexibility desired; it affords an article of finished and attractive appearance as distinguished from the irregularly scratched appearance of a ground or sand blasted pen, which has the semblance of a defective or unfinished product, and which is further rendered unsightly by the discoloration of the ground or sand blasted surface resulting from the tempering process; and it is produced without substantial increase in cost.

By the term striated surface referred to in the specification and the claims herein, is meant a surface having a series of parallel minute channels, whether these channels are straight, curved or zig-zagged.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and method, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ls:

1. In the manufacture of pen points, the method of preparing a metal strip from which said pen points are blanked, which includes the step of moving said strip along a grooving means to produce a mulitiplicity of fine parallel grooves along the length of said strip near one edge thereof, and blanking out the individual pen points with the pointed ends thereof at the grooved edge of the strip.

2. In the manufacture of pen points, the method of preparing a metal strip from which said pen points are blanked, which includes the step of moving said strip and an aligned row of cutting tools relatively in cutting position along a line of direction extending at an acute angle with respect to said row of tools, the cutting edges of said tools being conformed to gouge out asymmetrical V-shaped channels relatively steeper along one side, and blanking out the individual pen points with the steeper sides of the channel nearer the point, said steeper sides serving as dams.

3. In the manufacture of pen points, the method of preparing a metal strip from which said pen points are blanked, which includes the step of moving said strip between two parallel aligned rows of cutting tools in staggered relation and along a line of direction extending at an acute angle with respect to said rows of tools, the cutting ends of each of said tools being conformed to gouge out of the metal strip asymmetrical V-shaped channels, one side of which is relatively steeper and blanking the pen points from the strip with the steeper sides of said channels nearer the writing point.

4. As an article of manufacture, a hardened and tempered steel pen point having substantially uniform density of texture and provided with a series of minute engraved, ink retaining channels presenting roughened surfaces, the sides of said channels nearer said points sewing as ink retaining dams, the flexibility of the pen made of a given stock being a function solely of the spacing and depth of said channels.

5. As an article of manufacture, a pen point having a series of asymmetrical V-shaped engraved transverse ink retaining channels on the surface thereof, the faces of said channels nearest to the writing end of said pen point extending substantially perpendicularly to the body of the pen point to form ink retaining ledges.

6. As an article of manufacture, a pen point having on each face thereof a series of asymmetrical V-shaped engraved transverse ink retaining surface channels, the channels on the opposite faces being in staggered relation, the faces of said channels nearest to the writing end of said pen point extending substantially perpendicularly to the body of the pen point to form ink retaining ledges.

ISIDOR CHESLER. 

